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Cloudy Privacy With A Chance Of Apocalypse

For crazy-assed reasons I do not fully appreciate– something to do with free speech, Supreme Court, and American advertising– I can say my product is the best ever. That’s legal.

When Apple takes the high road and defends user privacy, that opens the company up to critics whenever Apple stumbles on anything to do with privacy; even if the privacy Apple talks about is different than the privacy critics howl about.

Fake Outrage Amok

A serious FaceTime Group Call bug has been discovered that lets you instantly access audio from the microphone and potentially the video of the person you called on FaceTime.

Oh no. Oh the humanity. Why are not the 1-billion FaceTime users up in arms and carrying pitchforks to the mad scientist at Cupertino Castle? First, the bug does not affect all FaceTime users. Second, the bug isn’t a bug if it doesn’t work. I’ve been trying to get it to work on a dozen Macs, iPhones, and iPads– using FaceTime Group Call, too– and, well, nothing.

It’s a bug. Bugs are like that. Sometimes they’re buggy. Sometimes not. Frankly, I like FaceTime Group Call, but don’t use it much.

Apple added FaceTime Group Calls, which finally allowed for multi-user coherence calling on FaceTime. It appears to be that new conference calling system that’s allowing the remote mic and potential camera exploit to function.

Seems reasonable and Apple assures a fix is on the way. Meh. Move along. Nothing to see here. Except fake outrage run amok.

Apple’s Privacy Stance Means it Does Not Get a Pass on FaceTime Security Bug

You know we’re not talking about the pass everyone gives to Google and Facebook for their illegal and immoral privacy capture and usage problems, right?

The company even put a big privacy advert on the side of a Marriott in Las Vegas during CES. It has received a lot of praise for its approach to privacy. However, that does not mean they cannot be held to account when a security flaw like this is exposed. In fact, arguably we should expect more from a company that puts such importance on privacy.

WARNING: Major FaceTime Bug Lets Callee See And Hear You With You Picking Up.

So pick up the phone, already. End of problem. But, I’m curious. How does it work?

To replicate this bug simply initiate a FaceTime call to someone, swipe up, then add yourself to the call.

Hurry. Because chances are good the callee has already picked up the phone.

In other words, you have to walk through a few steps to make it happen, and it doesn’t happen all the time, but it could; it might; think about the consequences of someone listening in on your call while the iPhone is pointed to the ceiling or the bottom of your pants.

Apple’s stand on privacy seems to be opposite that of Google and Facebook and related to private information captured from users in surveillance-like method and then used against those same users for profit.

Not. The. Same.

Honestly, this if fake outrage run amok.

But when that company is Apple – which has been ceaselessly pushing privacy of late – it becomes so cringeworthy we’re going to have to invent a whole new scale just to measure it

Oh, the humanity!

Oh, by the way. Do you know anyone affected by this FaceTime bug? Do you know anybody– and, include yourself on the list– that has exploited the bug inadvertently?

The bug that allows people to listen in to other people’s phones and even see video hits Apple where it truly hurts — in its protestations of privacy protection.

Are you talking about the same kind of privacy protection, Chris? I don’t think you understand the difference between a bug that may affect a limited number of users for a few days, vs. a corrupt and self-serving and ongoing practice by major internet players– Google and Facebook, I’m looking at you– that impacts perhaps 4-billion inhabitants on planet earth.

It’s true that most tech companies, despite their protestations to the contrary, make sure it’s hard for customers to secure an exalted level of privacy. It’s bad for business after all.

There you go.

A FaceTime connection bug is equated with illegal and immoral privacy harvesting for profit from half the earth’s population.

Fake outrage, indeed.

For Apple, though, this quite-horrific bug reduces its ability to claim it’s any different from the rest. It can’t scoff at its rivals when it can’t even create the most basic safeguards.

Yes. It. Can.

Apple will fix the FaceTime bug and nobody will remember it next week. In the meantime, where is the collective outrage among members of the technorati elite politburo for Google and Facebook’s ongoing misdeeds?

5G? Meh!

About Jeffrey Mincey

As a Mac, Windows, and Linux system administrator in Atlanta, Georgia, I've used Macs for almost 30 years (mostly late at night). Read more of my articles here. Check out my Mac tips, tricks, and app reviews at Bohemian Boomer.